Hydrometer



Jan. 12, 1943. H. J. LUTZ ET AL HYDROMETER Filed Aug. 3, 1940 '2 Sheets-Sheet 1 ZZ Herman JLu/tz Leo Edelmann/ Jan. 12,1943. H. J. LUTZ HAL 2,307,745

HYDROMETER Filed Aug. 5, 1940 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Patented Jan. 12, 1943 UNETED STATES E ATENT "FFECE assignorsto E. Edelman n & 00., Chicago, 111.

Application August 3, 1940, Serial No. 350 334 3 Claims.

Our invention relates to improvements, in. hydrometers, and particularly to a hydrometer structure such as is ordinarily of the syringe type and is held in and manipulated by the hand while in use.

An object is to provide a hydrometer having a part by which the instrument is ordinarily held, electric lighting means positioned to illuminate the effective parts of the hydrometer, and control means for said electric light means positioned to be readily available to and actuatable l y the user when holding the hydrometer.

Another object is to provide an instrument of this character capable of use in connection with a thermohydrometer and which will illuminate bath the temperature and the specific gravity influenced means.

Still another object is to provide illuminating means of simple and inexpensive construction that can be readily constructed and associated for use with many and varied types of hydrometers, and with which the parts are presented in manner to function efiiciently and to avoid likelihood of damage or breakage both while the instrument is in and is out of use.

With the above and other objects in view, some of which will be apparent to those skilled in the art and others of which are inherent in the construction and operation and use and functioning of the structure, our invention includes certain novel features of construction and combinations and arrangements of parts which will be hereinafter set forth in connection with the drawings and then pointed out in the claims.

In the drawings:

Figure l is a view in perspective showing one adaptation of this invention and illustrating the manner of holding and using the same.

Fig. 2 is an enlarged fragmentary vertical sectional View through a part of the structure to better show the construction and mounting of the lighting means.

Fig. 3 is a perspective view showing another adaptation of this invention.

Fig. 4 is an enlarged fragmentary view in elevation, and with parts in section, to better show the lighting means of the adaptation in Fig. 3.

Fig. 5 is a View in side elevation illustrating still another adaptation.

Fig, 6 is an enlarged fragmentary longitudinal sectional View through the lighting structure of the disclosure in Fig. 5.

As shown in Figs. 1 and 2, the liquid and float receiving barrel I has a gauge float 2 therein.., A liquid noz zlefi is connected at onegend. of.,.the

barrel I, and a suction and expulsion bulb dis.

connected at the other end of the liquid and float receiving barrel.

The parts as thus described are substantially usual and ordinary hydrometer construction, and can be made in any desired or suitable manner. When this instrument is in use, it is customary for the user to grasp the bulb 4 in the hand with the bulb pressing within the palm and the fingers and the thumb arched around the bulb, substantially after the manner illustrated in. Figure 1, and with the hand thus disposed the hydrometer cannot only be held, but the bulb 4 can be squeezed and released for drawing liquid into the liquid-barrel I around the float 2, and for expelling liquid.

A supporting collar 5 is fitted around the upper end of the liquid and float receiving barrel 5 adjacent to the bulb 4, and this supporting member or collar 5 has an extending portion 6 provided with a socket opening I on its lower side. A light casing 8 is mounted in said socket opening I and depends alongside the upper part of the liquid and float receiving barrel I, and if desired an extension 9 can be provided on one side of this casing 8 with its outer end notched or grooved to fit upon a portion of the liquid and float receiving barrel I and maintain the housing or casing 8 against lateral swinging and in a substantially'fixed position with respect to the liquid and float receiving barrel I. This housing or casing 8 has a light emitting opening II) in the lower part thereof and a light bulb II is fitted in this casing or housing 8 in position to cast its rays through the opening Ill in manner to illuminate the indicating portion of the hydrometer or float element 2 when the instrument is in use.

. The light bulb II has a base I 2 disposed up- Wardly and a coil spring I3 is fitted around this base and extends upwardly into the casing or housing 8. A flash light battery It is slidably mounted in the casing or housing 8 with its terminal end I5 presented substantially in line with one terminal of the lamp base I2. The spring I3 is mounted around and in conducting contact with the shell of the base I2 and extends,upwardly to engage with the case of the dry cell battery I4, and this spring holds the dry cell or battery I4 elevated so that the terminal I5 is normally not in contact with the central contact at the base I2 of the lamp bulb II,

The extension 6 has an opening I6 therethrough, and a switch or push button H is fit-] ytedslidably through this opening I6 and contacts at its lower end with the upper end of the dry cell or battery l4.

As shown in Fig. 2, the opening Ill has a transparent or translucent covering l8 thereover to protect the lamp bulb II, and it will of course be understood that the opening II] can be left unclosecl for direct emission of light rays, that the entire casing 8 or only the portion represented by the opening It], can be made transparent or translucent for emission of light rays, and that the parts can be constructed of various suitable materials and in many desired or different manners.

Further, while we have mentioned the part 5 as being a separate member, the extension 6 can be in fact a part of the bulb 4 and can be constructed or mounted or associated with the remaining parts in various other manners.

In the use of this instrument, the bulb 4 is grasped in the hand, substantially in the manner set forth above, and the push button I! is then conveniently presented and available to be engaged by a finger or by any part of the hand grasping the bulb 4. In this manner, it is possible for the user to grasp and hold the instrument by the bulb 4, to manipulate this bulb for drawing in and expelling liquid, and to employ a finger or other part of the same hand for depression of the push button I! to move the cell or battery 14 downwardly against the resilient force of the spring l3 to bring the terminal I5 into contact with the central terminal of the base I2 of the light bulb H, and then the light bulb I l will be lighted so that rays therefrom will emanate substantially after the manner shown by the dash lines in Figure l, to illuminate the gauge scale or other portion of the hydrometer float or element 2 desired to be read.

In the modified embodiment shown in Figs. 3 and 4, the hydrometer has the hydrometer or float element l8 in the liquid and fioat receiving barrel l9, and the nozzle portion 26 mounted at one end of the barrel I9 has the lateral extensions 2| and 22. A bulb 23 is connected at the other end of the liquid and float barrel IS. A supporting structure 24 is carried by the barrel l9 adjacent to the bulb 23, and is provided with extensions 25 and 26 each of which has a socket opening on the lower side. A thermometer housing 21 is mounted between the extensions 2| and 25 and has a thermometer tube 28, or other temperature influenced means therein. A light casing 29 is mounted between the extensions 22 and 26, and this light casing is provided with a light emitting opening 36. The casing 29 is adapted to r 1 receive a dry cell or flash light battery 3| disposed with its terminal end 32 upwardly, and a yoke or sleeve member 33 fitted slidably in the upper part of the housing or casing 29 has a light bulb 34 carried thereby with the base portion 35 presented downwardly, a coil spring 36 being interposed between the cell or battery 3| and the base 35 to hold the yoke or supporting member 33 elevated sufiiciently that the terminal of the lamp base is raised above and is out of contact with the terminal of the cell or battery 3 I. The

extension 26, preferably of softer rubber or of other suitable yieldable material, has push button portions 31 integral with or attached thereto and positioned to be engaged by the hand holding the bulb 23 so that pressure may be exerted upon the push button portions 31 to move the yoke or supporting member 33 downwardly against the resilient force of spring 36 to bring the terminal of the lamp base 35 against the terminal 32 of the battery or cell 3 l and thus the circuit will be completed through the spring 36 and these abutting terminals so that the lamp bulb will be lighted to cast its rays through the opening 30 and illuminate both the temperature and the specific gravity influenced means. Obviously, correction table or other data or indications can be carried by the parts in position or location to be illuminated by the light rays emanating from the lamp bulb 34, and as the employment and mounting of such correction tables and the like is well known no attempt is here made to illustrate or describe specific embodiments.

With the structure as disclosed in Figs, 5 and 6, the liquid and float receiving barrel 38 has the hydrometer float or element 39 therein. The nozzle portion 46 mounted at one end of the liquid and float receiving barrel 38 has an extension 4| at one side provided with a chamber and having an opening into said chamber for a thermometer 42. A bulb 43 is mounted at the other end of the liquid and float receiving barrel 38 and a supporting collar or member 44 carried by the liquid and float receiving barrel 38 has an extension 45 substantially aligned .with the thermometer indicating portion 42. A transparent housing 46 is mounted around the indicating portion 42 of the thermometer, and between the extension portions 4! and 45. i

A support 47, preferably a tubular or open hollow member, is disposed within the thermometer housing 46 and a light bulb 48 is supported in substantially fixed position within the housing 46 by this member 41. The member 41 is provided with an opening 49, is made transparent or translucent, or is otherwise constructed adjacent to the lamp bulb 48 so that light rays emanating therefrom can illuminate the effective portion of the hydrometer or gauge float 39. At the same time, since the support 41 is tubular the light rays from this bulb 48 will be cast downwardly to illuminate the indicating portion 42 of the thermometer, and any scale or correction table or other data disposed or displayed adjacent to or surrounding the indicating portion 42. A coil spring 50 fitted around the base 5! of the lamp bulb 48 extends upwardly within the thermometer housing 46 and resiliently supports a dry cell or battery 52 with the terminal 53 thereof resiliently raised and held above and out of contact with the corresponding terminal of the lamp bulb base 5i. The extension 25 has an opening 54 therethrough and a push button 55 slidably received or fitted and held in this opening 54 bears against the closed end of the cell or battery 52, this push button 55 being so disposed that it can be readily contacted and actuated or manipulated by the hand holding and manipulating or operating the hydrometer.

The mounting of the casing in which the lamp bulb is carried is, in each instance, so accomplished that this casing can be revolved to cause the lamp bulb to emit light rays upon the portion or portions desired to be illuminated.

From the foregoing it will be seen that we have provided a hydrometer structure of simple and inexpensive construction embodying a lighting structure that will illuminate the efiective of indicating parts of a hydrometer, thermohydrometer, or thermocorrecting hydrometer, and which parts are so associated that the user can operate or manipulate the suction bulb and can actuate the light control means by the use of one hand.

While We have herein shown and described only certain specific embodiments of our invention and have suggested only certain possible modifications or changes in the embodiment, it will be appreciated that many changes and variations can be made in the form and construction and association of the parts and in the man ner of adapting the lighting structure and control therefor to various hydrometer structures and constructions, without departing from the spirit and scope of our invention.

We claim:

1. A syringe hydrometer comprising an elongated transparent liquid and float receiving barrel, a nozzle at one end of said barrel, a suction bulb at the other end of said barrel, a float element within said barrel and visible therethrough, a collar mounted on said barrel at the upper end thereof adjacent to the suction bulb and having a laterally extending projection at one side provided with a recess extending upwardly from the lower face thereof, a light housing fitted and held within said opening and extending downwardly adjacent to the barrel, a light bulb carried by said light housing positioned to illuminate the indicating portion of said float element through the transparent barrel, a battery for said light bulb within said light housing, and a push button light switch actuating means presented on the upper side of the extension of said collar adjacent to the suction bulb depressible to complete the connection between said batteries and said light bulb and in its released position held against outward displacement by said extension of said collar.

2. A syringe hydrometer comprising an elongated transparent liquid and float receiving barrel, a nozzle mounted at the lower end of said barrel having an extension projecting laterally at one side and provided with an upwardly opening recess, a suction bulb mounted at the upper end of said liquid and float barrel, a supporting collar at the bulb end of said barrel provided with an extension projecting laterally in substantial alignment with the extension projecting laterally from the nozzle and having a downwardly opening recess, a float element in said liquid and float receiving barrel visible through the transparent wall thereof, a transparent housing fitted in the opposed recesses and consequent- 1y mounted between the aligned lower and upper extension portions, a thermometer having an indicating portion Within the lower portion of the transparent housing, a light bulb in said housing above the thermometer and positioned to illuminate the indicating portions of the thermometer and the float element, a battery for said light bulb in said housing, and push button light control switch means for establishing a circuit connection between said battery and said light bulb having the push button portion thereof presented on the upper side of the extension collar and thus disposed closely adjacent to said suction bulb.

3. A syringe hydrometer comprising an elongated transparent liquid and float receiving barrel, a nozzle mounted at the lower end of said barrel having extensions projecting laterally therefrom and provided with upwardly opening recesses, a suction bulb mounted at the upper end of said liquid and float barrel, a supporting collar at the bulb end of said barrel provided with extensions projecting laterally in substantial alignment with the extensions of the nozzle and provided with downwardly'opening recesses, a float element in said liquid and float receiving barrel, a transparent thermometer housing mounted in one set of aligned recesses of the nozzle and the supporting collar, a thermometer having an indicating portion within the transparent thermometer housing, a light casing mounted in a second set of aligned recesses of the nozzle and the supporting collar, a light bulb in said light casing located to project rays therefrom to illuminate the indicating portion of the float element and the indicating portion of the thermometer, a battery in said light housing adapted to supply current to said light bulb, and a push button light control switch means for establishing a current conduction connection from said battery to said light bulb having a push button portion extending above and held against displacement by the extension of the supporting collar.

HERMAN J. LUTZ. LEO EDELMANN. 

